The drive system of hydraulic press mainly includes two types: pump direct drive and pump-accumulator drive. Pump direct drive The pump of this drive system provides high-pressure working fluid to the hydraulic cylinder, the distribution valve is used to change the direction of fluid supply, and the overflow valve is used to adjust the limited pressure of the system and play a safe overflow role. This drive system has few links and simple structure. The pressure can automatically increase or decrease according to the required working force, which reduces the power consumption, but the capacity of the pump and its drive motor must be determined by the maximum working force and the highest working speed of the hydraulic press. This type of drive system is mostly used for small and medium-sized hydraulic presses, and there are also large (such as 120,000 kN) free forging hydraulic presses driven directly by pumps.
Pump-accumulator drive In this drive system, there is one or a group of accumulators. When there is a surplus of high-pressure working fluid supplied by the pump, it is stored by the accumulator; when the supply is less than the required amount, it is supplemented by the accumulator. This system can select the capacity of the pump and motor according to the average amount of high-pressure working fluid, but because the pressure of the working fluid is constant, the power consumption is large, and the system has many links and a relatively complex structure. This drive system is mostly used for large hydraulic presses, or a set of drive systems drives several hydraulic presses.

According to the direction of the force, hydraulic presses are divided into vertical and horizontal types. Most hydraulic presses are vertical, while hydraulic presses for extrusion are mostly horizontal. According to the structural type, hydraulic presses are divided into double-column, four-column, eight-column, welded frame and multi-layer steel belt winding frame. Medium and small vertical hydraulic presses also use C-frame type. C-frame hydraulic presses are open on three sides, easy to operate, but poor in rigidity. Welded frame hydraulic presses for stamping have good rigidity, open front and back, but closed left and right. In the vertical four-column free forging hydraulic press with upper transmission, the cylinder is fixed in the upper beam, the plunger is rigidly connected to the movable crossbeam, the movable crossbeam is guided by the column, and moves up and down under the pressure of the working fluid. There is a workbench on the crossbeam that can move forward and backward. The upper anvil and the lower anvil are installed under the movable crossbeam and on the work surface respectively. The working force is borne by the frame consisting of the upper and lower crossbeams and columns. Large and medium-sized free forging hydraulic presses driven by pump-accumulators often use three working cylinders to obtain three levels of working force. There are also balance cylinders and return cylinders outside the working cylinders to apply force upward.